As I turned to the recipe for Lobster Mac and Cheese from Labrador Lounge in Normandy Beach, there was no question as to what I’d be making first from the book. When dreaming of a Jersey summer, who can resist a good Lobster Mac?

Sitting with Smith’s cookbook in my “fuzzy socks” on the chilly afternoon of its arrival, its recipes and stories brought me right back to the bustling shore; the rolling waves breaking over my toes, the crisp salt air tousling my hair, and of course, the delicious fresh seafood. After spending a day on the beach, nothing beats a shore meal!

A lifelong Jersey Shore resident, Smith’s passion for the book and the community it encapsulates is evident. With backstories accompanying each of the featured dishes and restaurants, the cookbook is as much a tour of the Jersey Shore dining scene as it is a collection of recipes.

I don’t know how my taste testers and I found the strength to keep our forks out of the finished dish during the photo shoot! It’s a wonderful dish for luxurious, yet relaxed summer entertaining.

The Jersey Shore Cookbook will be released on April 12, 2016, and is available for pre-order. I know I’ll be cooking from the book all summer long and toting it with me to my favorite local farmer’s markets to shop for ingredients.

Thanks, Deborah, for a wonderful addition to our cookbook libraries that will enable all of us to bring the spirit and flavors of the beautiful Jersey Shore into our kitchens.

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Labrador Lounge Lobster Mac and Cheese

From The Jersey Shore Cookbook: “This comforting dish features pieces of rich lobster—tails and claws make for the best mac and cheese. Serve it as a side, family-style for a main course, or even in individual ramekins for a nice touch to any dinner party display.”

Ingredients

1poundmacaroni, such as elbows, shells, or orecchiette (or lobster-shaped pasta if you can find it)

Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

2cupscooked and diced lobster meat

Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Sea salt, to taste

1/2cupsliced shallots

3/4cupchopped fresh chives

1/2poundunsalted butter(1 cup)

3cupsheavy cream, divided

1cupshredded Asiago cheese

1cupcubed Swiss cheese

1cupshredded Monterey Jack cheese

1cupshredded Cheddar cheese

Bread crumbs, to taste

Instructions

Cook pasta al dente according to package directions, transfer to a colander, and drain.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Fit a metal mixing bowl over it to create a double boiler. Add all cheeses (except Parmesan) and 1-1/2 cups of the heavy cream.

Melt cheeses, stirring often to prevent burning. If mixture seems too stringy or clumpy, add some of the remaining cream. The texture should be velvety and a bit loose--the consistency of cheese soup.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a sauté pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add chives, shallots, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until shallots are tender. Add lobster and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine lobster mixture and pasta and stir. Slowly add as much cheese mixture as desired.

Transfer mixture to an oven-safe dish and top with Parmesan and bread crumbs. Bake for 12 minutes, or until browned on top and warm in the middle.

Recipe Notes

Note: Labrador Lounge's recipe calls for 3 cups of heavy cream total. As noted in their directions above, they call for starting with 1-1/2 cups and adding additional cream until the desired sauce consistency is reached. Depending on your preferences and the specific cheeses you used, you might not need the entire 3 cups.

Have you made this recipe? Let me know by leaving a comment and rating the recipe below! Don’t forget to take a picture and tag @stripedspatula and #stripedspatula on Instagram for a chance to be featured in my newsletter!

There’s this restaurant in town that’s known for this dish and looking at your ingredients and instructions, I’m so excited that it looks like something we can whip up at home! Lobster + Mac and Cheese is the perfect combination. Cannot wait to try this!

OMG this is absolutely perfect looking. That cookbook sounds awesome and right up my alley.. I live on the Alabama coast, so I love a lot of coastal – seafoody – fresh flavors, and this looks just so inviting. I need to bookmark this for my next ‘indulge-day!’

Hi Linda, as noted in Labrador Lounge’s recipe, additional cream is added after the 1-1/2 cups until the sauce is the consistency of cheese soup (step 3). I’ve added an additional note to the bottom of the recipe to further clarify their instruction.